The present invention concerns an identity card comprising an easy-to-use, more specifically a card-shaped, information carrier provided with an electronically readable memory which is capable of digitally storing personal user data including the user""s physical characteristics.
At present, an identity card is usually a document issued by the government, such as a passport or a driving licence, or a proof of identity which is applied within a specific business environment or for a particular professional group. In all these cases, the identity card comprises a representation in the form of a passport photograph of a user in combination with the printed personal data of the user,
However, this type of identity card has the disadvantage of being susceptible to fraud After all, the picture on the photo is the only indication that the data on the card belong to its user. The comparison between this picture and the actual appearance of the user is based on the subjective interpretation of the controlling officer, which may also be affected by the user""s changes in appearance after the identity card was issued. In addition, this regular type of identity cards are to a varying degree susceptible to forgery, as well as to loss and theft.
Nowadays there are also identity cards known, which are based on memory cards, which may or may not be smart cards, as information carriers. An example of this has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,068. In this the external characteristics of the card user are written to the card""s memory in encrypted form. In case of an access control the user""s characteristics are recorded and compared with the information stored on the card by means of a central processing unit. Only if the data match is the desired access granted.
Although this means of identification in itself is highly reliable and fraud-proof, nevertheless a disadvantage lies in the fact that the implementation. requires relatively advanced and specifically suited equipment which will not be generally available everywhere. This makes this type of identity card only suitable for a closed circuit of users, e.g. a specific professional group or employees/co-workers within a particular business environment or (government) institution. This type of identity card, however, is less suitable as a travelling document because, for instance, it leaves no room for making notes, such as is required for visa, and, moreover, because the required equipment will not be available world-wide.
The present invention intends to provide for an identity card of the type as referred to in the introduction, which is highly fraud-proof and, nevertheless, has general applications, such as a travelling document which can be used world-wide without advanced ancillary equipment being absolutely required.
In order to achieve the intended objective a type of identity card according to the present invention, is characterised in that a removable information carrier has been installed in an input unit of a housing which is also easy to handle, that housing has been provided with reading equipment capable of reading the personal data stored in the memory of the information carrier and in that the housing is provided with representation means in order to represent the data read.
In this type of identity card the actual personal information and identification data are located in the memory of the information carrier. The identification data include. at least among others, the physical characteristics of a user, such as e.g. his picture, fingerprint, voice, iris etc. which are digitally stored in the memory. Provided that the appropriate equipment is available, a fully electronic comparison can be made with a digitised registration of the user by means of, for instance, a camera, a sensor (system) or another type of registration means which has been connected to an electronic identification system. To this end, the information carrier is removed from its housing and entered into reading equipment provided for in this identification system. In this way a fully automatic identification may take place in which the subjective interpretation of a controlling officer is avoided and the probability of mistakes related to this is eliminated. However, if this equipment is not available, e.g. in case of apprehension of the user on the street or in a country in which the infrastructure required for automatic identification is not up to standard, the housing of the identity card at least provides for the primary reading and representation means in order to be able. to at least establish the alleged identity of its user. In this way the invention provides for an identity card which is compatible with both modern, progressive identification methods and a more conventional method of identification.
In addition, a special embodiment of the identity card is according to the present invention characterised in that a sheet which may or may not be folded, is attached to. the information carrier, so that the identity card is also suited as international travelling document just as the present-day passport. In addition, the folder also leaves room for notes and stamps of the authorised government institutions such as visa and the like, possibly in combination with a printed version of the personal data as also registered in the memory of the information carrier, and a passport photograph of the user. In countries which have or will acquire a fully electronic identification system for their cross-border traffic, such as for instance described in this patent application these notes and visa, if desired, can be entered directly into the memory of the information carrier which will then make a folder superfluous. The folder, however, ensures that the identity card remains compatible with the identification procedures as presently applied world wide
A further elaboration of the above-mentioned special embodiment of the identity card according to the present invention is characterised in that the information carrier is accompanied by a second information carrier with a sheet attached to it which may or may not be folded, in that both information carriers have been incorporated collectively in the input unit of the housing and in that both information carriers contain a unique encrypted code in a memory which can be electronically read, and in that means are present in order to establish a correspondence between the codes of both information carriers and signal a difference, if any, between both codes by means of the representation installation.
In this case, the primary identity card is formed by the first information carrier which is separated from the second information carrier, the latter is mainly intended to house the folder with notes and visa of the competent authorities, possibly in combination with a printed version. of the personal data as also stored in the memory of the first information carrier, together with a passport photograph. In the case of internal identification and also in the case of cross-border traffic of persons without a visa being required, the first information carrier will normally suffice. However, for those countries which require a written visa or other written notifications before access within the boundaries is granted, the second information carrier which contains a folder for written notes may be used. The unique codes of both information carriers ensure that the second information carrier can only be used in combination with the accompanying first information carrier. Attempted malversation in this respect can be punished by means of a signal from the housing of the identity card itself, or, if necessary, by means of rendering the second information carrier, whether or not permanently, defective if this carrier is linked to the housing of another information carrier than the appropriate first information carrier
The second information carrier may just as the first information carrier be equipped with a central processing unit in combination with an electronically readable memory. A further embodiment of the identity card is according to tho present invention characterised in that the first information carrier. in addition to an electronically readable memory, also comprises a central processing unit and in that the second information carrier only contains an electronically readable memory. In this case, the second information carrier is only equipped with an electronically readable memory which results in considerable costs-saving. It is possible, for instance, to register all personal data in the memory of the second information carrier or only the unique code which indicates to which first information carrier the second one belongs.
In order to make it even more fraud-proof a further embodiment of the identity card according to the invention is characterised in that the information carrier is provided with one or more authenticity features, These authenticity features may for instance include characters punched through the card or other signs in the information carrier, and, for instance, a hologram on the card. In this way the genuineness of the identity card can be guaranteed even more and abuse can be combated.
A comparison of physical characteristics which are registered on site and stored in the information carrier of the identity card can be carried out in a fully electronic and automatic manner. In view of this a special embodiment of the identity card according to the invention is characterised in that the information carrier includes a central processing unit which has been provided with means for electric data transfer with a terminal unit of an identification system, and in that the central processing unit, which is fed with an effective programming code from the memory, is capable of comparing the stored external characteristics of the user with the external characteristics of the user registered on site. This type of identity card itself contains the processing unit required for the comparison to be carried out, and arithmetical ability, so that the identification system does no have to provide for this. The identification system will then only comprise registration means in order to incorporate specific physical characteristics of a user of the identity card, which registration means are linked up to the above-mentioned terminal unit from which the recorded data can be read by the processing unit of the identity card and subsequently, can be compared with the stored data in the identity card itself. This does not only simplify the infrastructure required al the check point location, but is also beneficial to the processing speed if various checks which otherwise possibly were to be managed by one processing unit only, are now executed in a parallel manner.
In order to avoid error messages as a result of external changes of the user as well as to enhance the processing speed of the comparison referred to above, a preferred embodiment of the identity card according to the present invention is characterised in that the personal data comprise the user""s physical characteristics in parameters. Storage in parameters does not in the first place involve a picture of the user, but rather characteristic features like e.g. the eye to eye distance, the angles enclosed between eyes and nose or mouth, etc. Obviously, these external parameters of the user are less. subject to changes than e.g. wearing spectacles, beard and hair growth or the presence of make up, enabling a more reliable comparison.
In addition, other physical characteristics of the user, such as specific length and width measurements and fingerprint data, may also be registered in this manner, whether or not in combination with these. By means of combining and storing these in themselves independent physical features and checking these, a virtually 100% airtight access control may be achieved In this respect a special embodiment of the identity card is characterised in that, among others, the voice of the user is also stored digitally therein.
In order to protect the privacy and also in order to avoid forgery and falsification, the various data in the information carrier""s memory are preferably stored in encrypted form. The data are thus protected against access by third parties and encryption by means of present-day encryption techniques may be also executed in such a complicated manner chat falsification or forgery of identity proof is almost impossible without specific knowledge of the applied key. Moreover, the data are preferably protected by means of at unique access code. Only the rightful user of the identity card knows this unique access code, e.g. in the form of a personal identification number (PIN), which makes it impossible for a subsequent holder to use the identity card and read the data with out knowledge of the access code.